Apparatus for dispensing and hemming adhesive tape



J. A. BORDEN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND HEMMING ADHESIVE TAPE FiledMay 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l W |H||| 'H'HIHH ulllllllll fiaezfir; Jim olfiordem:

Jan. 26, 1943. F J. A. BORDYEN 2,309,093

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND HEMMING ADHESIVE TAPE Filed May 4, 1939 1 2Sheets-Sheet 2 6 9 J5 470 70 -Q6 95 Z5 .25 920 JO 92g? x/ha 7550211670:

Patented Jan. 26,1943

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND HEM- MING. Annnsrvn TAPE I John A. Borden,St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company,St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application May 4, 1039,Serial No. 271,809

Claims." (01. aim-93) This invention relates broadly to apparatusfordispensing adhesive tape from a roll in usable condition and in desiredlengths, and more particularly to apparatus adapted to place a fold orhem in a strip of adhesive tape as it is being'dispensed and before itis cut to the desired length. The invention is of considerable utilityin dispensing, hemming and/or folding adhesive tape having a'fabric orpaper backing and provided with a solvent activated adhesive, that is,an adhesive adapted to be activated to a tacky conthe art, for example,such tape. dispensers as are disclosed in my ,copendin'g application,Ser. No.

dition by the application of water or any other suitable fluid, or apressure-sensitive adhesive,

1. e., anadhesive of a normally tacky nature,

which does not require moistening with; water or other solvents toactivate it to adhesiveness, such tapes, for example, as the ordinarysurgeons tape and such tapes as are disclosedin- U.S. Patent No.11,760,820 to Richard G. Drew. The invention is of particular utility indispensing tapes provided with non-fibrous backings such as "Cellophane"or other cellulose derivatives, inthat tapes having backings formed ofcertain cellulose derivatives are susceptible to tearing when theiredges are nicked or when they are placed under a severe strain.

A primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus particularlyadapted to dispense adhesive tapes of the typesdescribed and to' form areinforced edge or edges on the strip of tape during the. dispensingoperation by folding one or both edges of the strip to form a hem orhems adapted to reinforce the strip and protect it against tearing whenits edges are nicked or when it is subjected to an unusually severestrain.

, A further object of the inventiouis the provi sion of apparatus of thetype described which can be produced readily and economically and is ofsuch construction that rolls rot-tape can readily be inserted thereinand the cores of spent rollscan be easily removed; the provision ofapparatus of the type described equipped. with sever-; ing means alsoadapted to retain the free end of the hemmed tape in a convenientposition for removal of the following portion of the strip withoutspoiling a portion of the tape due to undesired foldingor creasingthereof; the provision of apparatus adapted readily to form a hem ofuniform width on both edges of an adhesive tape strip; the provision ofapparatus of the.

type described which can readily be employed by an unskilled operator toform hems in adhesive tape: and the provision of apparatus for forming afold or hem in adhesive tape saltis being dispensed. from a roll andbefore it is cut to the desired length.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an attachmentadapted to form a hem or fold in one or both edges of pressure-sensitiveadhesive tape that may replace the cutting edge portion of adhesive tapedispensers known to 93,661 filed July 31, 1936.

In general, myimproved tape dispensing and hem-forming device comprisesa drum adapted to removably retain a roll of adhesive tape, drumsupporting structure and a member mounted on- 15- this structure inadvance of the drum and adapted to form a hem in the strip of adhesivetape withdrawn from the roll; the hem-forming member being equipped witha throat-portion having upturned converging flanges adapted to formfolds along the edges of the tape, a saddle- ,like-portion upon whichthe folded edges are adhesively secured to the 'bodyportion of the tapeas it is drawn through a downwardly extendin guideway, and atear-oiIedge in advance of andbelow the guideway. As previouslymentioned, the invention includes embodiments adapted to form hems onsolvent-activated adhesive tape and pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.

The invention will be readily understood from with the accompanyingdrawings in which prethe following detailed description in conjunctionferred embodiments of the invention are shown and in which:

Fig.,1 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention adapted foruse with pressuresensitive adhesive tap Fig. 2,-a side elevation view,partly in section, of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a front end elevation;

Fig. 4, an enlarged vertical sectional view'of the hem forming member ofthe device;

Fig. 5, an enlarged view in perspective of the hem forming andseveringmember;

Fig. 6, a top plan view of an embodiment adapted for use witha solventactivated adhesive tape;

Fig. '7, a side elevation, partly in section, of the embodiment of Fig.6;

Fig. 8, an enlarged plan view of a strip of hemmed adhesive tape; and YFig. 9, a cross-section of a strip of the hemmed adhesive tape, furtherenlarged.

Referringto the drawings and to both embodi ments of the invention showntherein, the rei'erj ence character ,8 indicatesa base portion, preftoprovide a member having considerable weight.-

The base member is provided with a plurality of, conveniently four,rubber suction cups 9 suitably fastened thereto in any convenientfashion as by lug screws. Thus, due to the weight of the base and thesuction cups, a structure is pro- -vided that is adapted. to resist thedrag resulting from the pull upon the tape as it is drawn through. thedispensing and hem-forming members of the device and yet may beconveniently moved from place to place as desired.

The roll supporting structure mounted upon the base 8 comprises two sidewalls I II which are bent at their ends to form end walls H and I2 atthe rear and front end thereof, respectively, and which are mounted uponthe base in spaced parallel relationship by means of angularly bentmembers I3 and I4 to which the end portions II and I2 are respectivelysecured by any convenient means such as spot welding. The members l3 andI4 have angularly bent horizontal portions l5 and 16, respectively,which are fastened to the base member 8 in any suitable fashion, such asby rivets or bolts IT, as

shown in,Fig. 2. The side walls l0 and supporting members l3 and It arepreferably stamped from sheet metal.

The side wall members I0 are provided with downwardly extending inclinednotches l-8 adapted to receive the projecting ends of the shaft IQ ofthe drum 20. The drum is adapted to removably receive a roll 2| ofadhesive tape to be dispensed. The roll of tape is wound upon a core 22adapted to fit snugly upon the dmm 20. The drum 2|] is preferably madeof sheet metal forming a closed cylinder of a width which canconveniently be accommodated between the spaced walls ill to permit freerotation of the drum and its shaft IS in the notches l8.

' Referring to the side wall members III, as shown forming member to bedescribed.

The hem-forming and tape-severing elements, generally indicated by thereference character 23, are clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in respectto the embodiment dispensing pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, and inFigs. 6 and 7 of the embodiment for solvent activated tape, andpreferably form a unitary construction which may be stamped or die-castfrom sheet steel. This structure is provided with a shank member 24equipped at its lower portion with a slot 25 and is adapted to beremovably retained in advance of the roll 2| of tape upon the front walll2 and supporting member II. The shank 24 is removably 'supportedthereon by means of a clamping member. 26 equipped with a' hole threadedto receive a screw 2'l which passes through complemental perforations inthe members l2 and I4 and through the slot 25 provided in the shank 24.It will thus 'be seen that the hem forming member 23 may be readilyattached toand removed from its supporting members 26 and M, and if itis not desired to form hemmed tape, a tape severing and retaining membercarried on a shank, such structure as is known to the art, for example,as is disclosed in my copending application previously referred to, maybe employed in lieu of the member 23 by securing it to the supportingmember I 4 by means of the clamp member 26.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1-5 illustratingthe throat portion formsa pathway for the strip,

tapers inwardly from the mouth 30 and is somewhat dished or concave inoutline. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the edges of the throat member 28are provided with upwardly extending flanges 32 which are progressivelyinclined inwardly and are of progressively greater width away from themouth 30, and, correspondingly, the channel portion 3| decreases inwidth. Accordingly, it will be seen that the throat portion is adaptedto turn the edges of the strip of adhesive tape upwardly and inwardlytoward the center of the strip as it is drawn therethrough' Adjacent theterminus of the throat portion, and preferably mounted at the top ofshank 24, is a curved ridge member 33 forming a hump over which the tapemust pass as it emerges from the throat member. As shown in Figs. 2 and5, the throat member slopes downwardly away from the ridge member 33,and on the opposite side of the ridge member a channel-shaped member 34of substantially the width of the hemmed tape 38 and equipped withupwardly extending flanges 86 inclines downwardly away from the ridge.Thus it will be understood that as the strip of adhesive tape passesover the ridge member it is subjected to a downward pull at an angle tothe length of tape (in addition to the strain on the tapelongitudinally), which draws the upwardly and inwardly turned edges ofthe strip which are coated with adhesive on their inner sides, intocontact with the adhesive coated central portion of the strip andsecures the edges thereto, forming permanent hems.

The tape severing portion preferably comprises a metallic strip 31 whichis firmly attached, as by spot-welding, to the shank 24 at a centralpart thereof and extends at substantially a right angle thereto beyondand below the end of the channelshaped guideway 34. The end of the strip31 is provided with a tape severing edge 88 which may be a cutting,knifelike edge or, as shown in Fig. 5, is formed of a plurality of sharppoints or teeth. The free end of the severed tape may be retained on theserrated edge 38, and the space between the end of the guideway 34 andthe severing edge 88 readily enables the operator to manually grasp theportion of the tape between these members when it is desired to drawanother strip through the hemming and dispensing device.

vIn operation, it will be seen that the roll 2| is mounted upon the drum20 which is then placed within the side walls I 0 of the dispensingstructure, where its shaft 19 is supported in the notches the adhesionbetween the pressure-sensitive adhesive coated side of the tape and theback of the underlying layer in the roll.

As the tape passes through the constricted secing a secure bond andpermanently hemmed edges. The elevation of the guideway 34 is such .thatthe normal path of the hemmed strip 35 is .form a hem on solventactivated adhesivetape flanges 32. Upon passing over the ridge member 33the upturned edges of the tape are subjected to a downward tension dueto the incline of the guideway, as previously explained, and theadhesive coated surfaces of the edges are brought into contact with theadhesive coated surface of the adjacent marginal portions of the tape,formabove the severing edge 38. When it is desired to sever a portion ofthe strip of hemmed tape it is drawn downwardly across the serrated edge38. The ,free end of the tape remains secured to the severing edgewhereit can be conveniently grasped when another portion of hemmed tape is tobe removed. Subsequent portions of hemmed tapeare successively removedby grasping the portion 35 between the severing edge 38 and the guideway36, lifting the tape slightly, drawing it through the hem formingstructure by pulling upon the free end of the tape and severing thedesired portion. A strip of the hemmed tape comprising a central portion6| having an exposed adhesive surface 82 and hemmed edges 50 is shown inFigs. 8 and 9.

A modified form of the invention adapted to is shown in Figs. 6 and 7.The roll supporting structure, as shown, is similar to that shown inFigs. ,1 and 2, except that the shaft l9 may be provided with a springdisk 40 to tension the roll, as shown in Fig. 6, since the adhesive onthe tape 2| of the roll is not in a tacky condition.

The hem-forming attachment 4! is likewise somewhat similar to theattachment 23 previously described, in that it is provided with aslotted shank 24 adapted to be removably retained in advance'of the roll2| between the front wall l2 and a clamping member 26. It will thus beseen that the hem-forming attachment 4i for, solvent activated adhesivetape may be readily substituted for the attachment 23 adapted to formhems on a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, or

for a tape severing and retaining member such as is disclosed in myc'opending application previously referred to. i

The attachment 4| is likewise similar to the attachment 23 in that it isprovided with a rearwardly extending throat portion 28 adapted toreceive a strip of adhesive tape 42 from the roll 2|; the edges of thethroat portion being provided with upwardly extending flanges 32 adaptedto turn the edges of the strip of adhesive tape upwardly and inwardlytoward the center of the strip as it is drawn therethrough. Likewise,after emerging from the throat portion 28 the tape passes over a curvedridge member 33 and is then inclined downwardly through a channelshapedguide 34.

'Unlike the hem-forming attachment 23, the

' member 4| is provided with a pair of arms 43 and 44 extendinghorizontally rearwardly and forwardly, respectively, from anintermediate portion of the shank 24. Mounted upon the arm .43 are atension roller 45, over which the strip of tape passes as it leaves theroll-28, and a sponge 41 or pad saturated with a suitable solvent forthe adhesive, and a roller 48 in juxtaposition to the sponge adapted totransmit the the tape. As shown in Fig. 6, the roller 48 is providedwith offset end portions 49 contacting the edges of the adhesive tapestrip, so that the solvent is only applied to the edge portions of thetape that-form the hem.

, The horizontal arm 44 is provided with a tensioning roller 50 inadvanced and below the guideway 36, a moistening device comprising acontainer 5| for a solvent saturated sponge 52,

and a roller 53 in juxtaposition to the sponge adapted to transmit thesolvent to the center portion of the hemmed tape. A member 54 providedwith a severing edge 55 is disposed on the arm 44 in advance of themoistening device.

In operation of the embodiment shown in Figs 5 and 6 it will be seenthat the strip of tape 42 as it is drawn from the roll 2| under tensionprovided by the spring disk 40 passes over the tension roller 45 andunder the moistening device where the solvent, which may be water,depending upon the type of the adhesive employed, is applied to the edgeportions of the adhesive coated tape strip before it enters the throatportion 28 where the edges of the tape strip are turned inwardly andupwardly. Upon passing over the ridge member 33 the upturned edges ofously explained, and the adhesive coated surfaces of the edges arebrought into contact with the adhesive coated surface of the adjacentmarginal portions of the tape, forming a hem 68 along the edges of thetape strip 6|, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The hemmed tape then passesunder tension roller 68 and the roller 53 which applies solvent to the.centralunhemmed portion of the tape to activate the adhesive thereon.The hemmed tape may be cut into any desired length by pulling itdownwardly upon .the severing edge 55.

Other forms of moistening devices adapted to apply a suitable solvent tothe upper adhesive coated surface of the tape may be employed, and, ifdesired, the second moistening device may be eliminated. In the latterinstance, the roller 48 of the first moistening device 46 does not havethe ofiset edge portions 49 andis adapted to ap ply the solvent alongthe entire width of the adhesive coating. It is preferred, however, toemploy two moistening devices, in that otherwise considerable portionsof the adhesive tape may have to be discarded, since the portions of thetape remaining in the throat portion 32 and guideway 38 after thepreceding strip has been severed, will not have an activated adhesivethereon.

The invention contemplates the provision of .hem-formingmembers 23 ofvarious sizes and shapes which may be readily substituted, one for eachother, and inserted in the dispensing structure, as previouslydescribed, in order to hem tapes of, different widths, to form hems ofdifferingwidths, as desired, or to-formahem on only one edge of thetape.' As previously pointed out, the width of the mouth 38 ofthe throatmember 28 is substantially the width of the tape beingfed 'into thehem-forming structure, and the width of the constricted section of thethroat member at its narrowest point is the width of the hemmed tape.Accordingly, if a larger hem is desired, the constricted section is madenarrower and the'inwardly-and upwardly turned flanges aremade wider. Thethroat member 28, for example, maybe adapted for hemmin-g a tape stripsolvent to the adhesive on the upper surface of widths on one inch orother size tape may be readily inserted and supported between theretaining members 26 and the end wall l2. Furthermore, the throat membermay be provided with only a single flange adapted to hem only one edge,leaving the opposite edge unhemmed.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a device that is simple inconstruction and operation and is adapted to form a permanent hem orhems on a strip of pressure-sensitive or solvent-acti-v vated adhesivetape.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for dispensing adhesivetape, a drum supporting a coil oftape, a framein which said drum is rotatably mounted, an upright memberformed on said frame in advance of said drum, and means including atapering flange member carried on said upright member adapted to guidetape from the roll through the dispenser and to fold an edge of saidtape and to secure it:

to the body portion of said strip forming a hem therein, said meansincluding a cutting edge adapted to sever said tape. I

2. In a dispensing device of .the type described, a frame, a roll. ofadhesive tape rotatably supported on said frame, a standard formed onsaid frame in advance of said roll, and a hem-forming memberdetachablycarried on said standard,

said member comprising a throat portion adapted to receive said tape asit is drawn from said roll, upwardly and inwardly turned flanges on saidthroat portion adapted to fold the edge portions of said tape as itpasses through said throat portion, and a raised portion in advance ofsaid throat portion adapted to adhesively secure said folded edgeportions to the unfolded portionof said tape, and a severing edgecarried on said member in advance of said ridge portion.

3. In a device of the type described, a frame, a

roll of adhesive tape rotatably mounted in said frame and a hem-formingmember carried in said frame in advance of said roll, said membercomprising a throat portion adapted to receive said tape as it is drawnfrom said roll, and having a tapering channel, flange members carried onsaid throat portion adapted to fold over the edge portions of said tapeas it passes through said throat portion, a ridge member over which thetape passes as it leaves said throat portion, and a tape guidewayinclining'downwardly from said ridge portion, said ridge member and saidguideway being adapted to adhesively secure the folded edges to theunfolded portion of said tape as it is drawn over the ridge member andthrough the guideway.

, equipped with a tapering channeLa flange on guideway.

said throat portion adapted to fold an edge portion of said tape, aridge member disposed above said shank portion, a tape guidewayinclining downwardly from said ridge member, and a severing edge carriedon said shank portion below and in advance of said tape guideway.

5. A device for forming a hem in adhesive tape comprising a throatmember adapted to receive a strip of tape and provided with a taperingchannel, an upturned flange on said throat member adapted to fold anedge of said tape as it passes through said throat portion, a raisedportion over which the tape passes as it leaves said throat portion andadapted to adhesively secure said folded edge to the unfolded portion ofsaid tape, a tape guldeway inclined downwardly from said raised portionand a severing edge disposed below and in advance of said guideway.

6. A device for forming a hem in adhesive tape and adapted to bedetachably mounted in an adhesive tape dispenser, comprising a shankmember, a throat member having, a tapering channel adapted-to receive astrip of tape, upturned flanges on said throat portion adapted to foldthe edge portions of said tape as it is drawn through said throatportion, a. ridge member carried on said shank adapted to adhesivelysecure said folded edge portions to the unfolded portion of said tape asit is drawn thereover, a guideway inclined downwardly from said ridgemember, and a .severing edge carried on said shank member in advance ofand below said 7. In a device for dispensing solvent-activated adhesivetape, a. drum for supporting a roll of tape, a'frame in which said drumis rotatably mounted, a moistener in the pathway of said tape asitleaves said roll adapted to apply a solvent to the adhesive coatedsurface of said tape, and flanged means in advance, of said moisteneradapted to fold an edge of said tape and tosecure it to the body portionof said tape forming a hem thereon as said tape passes through saidmeans.

8. In a device for dispensing solvent-activated adhesive tape, means forrotatably supporting a roll of said tape, a moistener in the pathway ofsaidtape, including a roller adapted to apply a 4. In' a device of thetype described, a frame, a

a roll of adhesive tape rotatably supported in said frame, a standard onsaid frame in advance of said roll, and a member adapted to form a hemin said tape, said member comprising a shank portion adapted to bedetachably secured to said standard, a throat portion adapted to receivesaid tape as it is drawn from said roll and solvent to the edge portionsof the adhesive coated surface, a curved tapering member in ad-.

vance of said moistener adapted to fold over the edges of said tape andto secure said folded edges tothe body of said tape to form hemsthereon, and a second rnoistening device adapted to apply a solventtothe exposed adhesive coated surface of said tape.

9. In a dispensing device for strip material coated with asolvent-activated adhesive, a roll of said strip material, a frameadapted to rotatably support said roll, a moistener in the pathway ofsaid strip material including a member adapted to apply to solvent tothe adhesive coated surface ofthe edge portions of said strip material,a guideway on said frame positioned to receive said strip material fromsaid moistener,

flange members on said guideway adapted to turn a over said edgeportions of said strip material and to secure said turned over edgeportions to the a member in advance of said second moistener providedwith an edge adapted to sever said strip material.

l0. In a dispensing device for solvent-activated tion adapted to foldthe edge portions of said tape adhesive tape, a frame, a roll of'saidadhesive tape rotatably supported on said frame, a standard formed onsaid frame in advance of said roll, a hem forming support detachablycarried on said standard, a moistener mounted on said support in thepathway of said tape adapted to apply a suitable solvent to the adhesivecoated surface of said tape, a member carried on said support,comprising a throat portion adapted to receive said tape from saidmoistener, upwardly and inwardly turned flanges on said throat por- 10of said second mentioned moistener.

JOHN A. BORDEN.

